Upbeat as ever, Baker soldiers on

No hope of a repeat this year, what with a healthy Hundley hitting well and Grandal due to return.

“There’s things that you wish for, and there’s things that you hope for,” said Baker, who in 2002 was drafted out of Cal by his hometown Oakland Athletics. “Then there’s the reality of the situation. I’ve always taken pride in showing up every day and trying to be a good teammate and a better player.”

Those working alongside him will attest to that. With Baker, after all, work never seems to be work. There’s the way he handles pitchers, setting up just right behind the plate, calling just the right pitches.

Then there’s the non-stop levity, illustrated in such settings as the team flight to Chicago late last month. Blues Brothers-style, Baker and setup man Luke Gregerson donned fedoras, suits and sunglasses, unlit cigarettes dangling from their mouths. It was Baker’s idea, among the many out-of-the-box creations springing from the mind of the former American studies major.

“Just the way he keeps it loose and fun, you don’t see that a whole lot in baseball,” said long reliever Anthony Bass. “He gets along with everybody on the team.”

Said fellow Padre and former Marlins teammate Cameron Maybin: “There’s no certain guy he gravitates to. He gravitates to everybody.”

The man himself, a potential future manager according to Bud Black, makes it a point to do so.

“When guys play every day, they go through ups and downs,” Baker said. “You need that kind of support system, guys to pat you on the back, guys to be positive with you, guys to keep baseball fun.

“For every person on this field, this was a childhood dream and it’s very easy to forget it when you get caught up in the business side of it.”

So it goes with this veteran, affably going about his job, even as May 28 looms.